by Alison Lueders, Great Green Editing
Just 2 weeks left until the 6th Annual Sustainable Buzz on November 7, 2013. Get your tickets now!
In celebration of this bigger-than-ever event, we are proud to profile some of our silent auction contributors. The Buzz will have a silent auction featuring sustainable and local experiences in Tampa Bay. The items offered show the many ways you can enjoy a healthier, more sustainable world right now.
This week we highlight the Gasparilla Music Festival (GMF). This annual event was first held in 2012. The 2014 festival will take place in Curtis Hixon Riverfront Park and Kiley Gardens Park on March 8th & 9th, and will feature musical acts from a wide variety of genres. Due to popular demand, the Festival will be TWO days in 2014, instead of one. The GMF is donating two $150 VIP tickets for the Sustainable Buzz silent auction.
The Sweet Sounds of Sustainability
It’s heartening to see an organization bake sustainability into its core mission. Each year, the Festival consciously strives to minimize the environmental impact of the event, even as attendance has soared into the thousands. Some ways they do that include:
–Eliminating 100% of plastic water bottle usage. They used “Boxed Water is Better,” a bottled water company from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
–Encouraging bicycle ridership. Approximately 5% of attendees came by bike (450 people).
–Managing waste: Last year’s Festival generated 4.12 tons of total waste. Kudos to GMF for knowing that number. When you measure your inputs and outputs, you can manage them better. Of that, 1.18 tons were recyclables that were diverted away from landfills for a total diversion rate 28.6% and a “Recycle to Landfill Ratio” of 40%.
–Buying carbon offsets: GMF bought 5 metric tons of CO2 emission offsets to cover the full cost of event generators plus any additional on-site emissions.
Why Gasparilla Music Festival supports the Sustany® Foundation
Says Ty Rodriguez, Executive Director, “GMF supports the Sustany® Foundation because it is the correct thing to do. Living an environmentally conscious life – personally and professionally – is the only option.”
So come to the Sustainable Buzz for a good cause and a chance to get tickets for a music festival that has already become a wonderful Tampa tradition.